User blog:Carrieunderwoodfanforlife/Carrie Underwood's Musical Evolution, by Album
Carrie Underwood has grown as both a live performer, and a vocalist, over the span of the last thirteen years, since catapulting to fame via American Idol. Here's a look at how an Oklahoma girl developed into one of country's most-awarded female entertainers. 2005 - Some Hearts Underwood's debut album contained a careful mixture of country and pop elements, enough of both to introduce her to the world, while still keeping her boots firmly planted in the 'country' section. Songs that helped reinforce that all-American image were "I Ain't in Chocotah Anymore", a down-home ode to her Oklahoma roots co-penned by Underwood herself, and "We're Young and Beautiful", a tune that allowed Underwood to have a little bit of fun while showing off her voice at the same time. More somber, pop-leaning tunes like "Starts With Goodbye" and "I Just Can't Live A Lie" told stories of heartbreak that any twenty-something could relate to, earning Underwood a spot with the in-crowd. However, it was the coming-of-age stories that shined brightest on the album, from the vulnerability displayed in "The Night Before" to the strong conviction in "Lessons Learned", and of course - the earnest surrender featured in smash single "Jesus, Take the Wheel." All in all, Underwood's debut record offered her opportunities to be both strong and weak. One of her strongest moments on the album was "Before He Cheats", an irresistible story of revenge, which would become the hallmark of later Underwood singles. 2007 - Carnival Ride Underwood's sophomore return, Carnival Ride, appears to have been made with the sole purpose of pushing her into the upper reaches of Nashville royalty, a goal that was absolutely accomplished. Her vocal performances were immediately stronger and fiercer. From opening number "Flat on the Floor" to the soaring chorus of "All-American Girl", the boozy fun of "Last Name", and her flawless delivery of "I Told You So," this is what a country superstar looks like. Underwood was featured as a co-writer on more songs for her second album; "So Small" became Underwood's first number one hit to co-write. However, the real gem of the entire album is "Just A Dream", which became an emotional opportunity for Underwood to develop her knack for telling stories. Elsewhere, the songs are perfectly packaged and arranged for mass consumption; Underwood's vocal deliveries are pristine on "I Know You Won't" and "Get Out of This Town." The message of Carnival Ride was clear: Underwood was going to be the Shania Twain of this decade. 2009 - Play On If Carnival Ride was built to give Underwood a superstar status, Play On was made to maintain it. Opening single "Cowboy Casanova" was extremely slick, extremely fun, and extremely successful. Now 26 years old, Underwood was exhibited as a full-grown woman, as powerful as she was glamorous. Underwood made more songwriting efforts for her third album, working with a few of the biggest songwriters in the pop genre for songs like "Quitter" and "Undo It." Her touches were slightly more personal this time, as heard in "Temporary Home" and "Mama's Song", with each single offering a small glimpse into her faith and romantic life. She also collaborated with childhood friends, Sons of Sylvia, and featured them on her album and tour, a superstar helping out an up-and-coming act. In some ways, Play On seemed like a departure from country for Underwood; songs "Unapologize", "What Can I Say", "Change", and "Quitter" could have been featured on Top 40 programming. Play On was the work of an artist fully in her prime, with more creative control than ever, and Underwood's sales reflected this. 2012 - Blown Away Underwood's most diverse album to date, Blown Away covered a lot of ground. By this point, Underwood had found her forte in telling dark tales of revenge and cheating, and nowhere was she stronger than on "Blown Away"and "Two Black Cadillacs", also tossing more good advice out to fellow women in "Good Girl"; now ready to break up a formula that had gone on for three albums, Underwood explored new styles on her fourth record. She was uncharacteristically soft and toned down for "Forever Changed", a song she still has yet to perform live. Other times, as during "One Way Ticket" and "Nobody Ever Told You", she was energetic and carefree, singing to the overworked and down-and-out. Underwood cranked up the volume to full power for final track "Who Are You" for a gorgeous vocal delivery, while 'Wine After Whiskey" was one of her most mature and nuanced performances to date. All in all, Blown Away ''as an album was all over the place, which may have earned criticism from snobbish reviewers, but it was for this reason that the album was an instant classic with her fans. ''2014 - Greatest Hits: Decade #1 Along with containing the hits that made her a big name in the music business, Underwood's greatest hits compilation included two new songs. The first one, "Something in the Water", was an instant favorite among her fans and has since become one of her most prolific songs, in no small part due to her enormous vocal delivery. The second single, "Little Toy Guns", sounded like a leftover from her first album, but was still a worthy addition to the album. 2015 - Storyteller Underwood's fifth album, Storyteller, was hands-down her most mature work to date. It was also her most cohesive effort, carefully weaving a Western theme through the feel of its thirteen songs, most notably "Renegade Runaway", "Diry Laundry", "Church Bells", "Chaser", and "Choctaw County Affair", all of which were some of Underwood's most creative songs to date. Storyteller ''was the work of a country artist fully evolved, who knew what her fans wanted to hear, and what kind of stories she wanted to tell. If no one ever listened to another Carrie Underwood album, they should listen to ''Storyteller, because it is the country superstar at her best. The album hits on some of life's hardest moments, without ever becoming too serious. More than anything, confidence radiates from each of Underwood's vocal performances. On September 14, Underwood will release her sixth album, ''Cry Pretty. ''Based solely on the previews and comments the singer has released from the album, it has the potential to be her most fully-developed, creative piece of work to date, capable of appealing to audiences outside of the country genre. Keep an ear out for "Drinking Alone", "The Bullet", and "Spinning Bottles", as these will probably be stand-outs from the album. Category:Blog posts